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A giant family of tiny bees: What are the mysteries of the nest structure of Apis cerana?
Apis cerana, also known as the Oriental honey bee or Asian honey bee, is a highly social insect native to South, Southeast and East Asia. The nest structure of this bee is a biological wonder that has attracted worldwide attention. Their nests are not only suitable places for living and breeding, but also display amazing construction techniques and thermal control capabilities, which have aroused the interest of countless researchers.
Apis cerana nests are often made up of multiple cells, which are characterized by small entrances made of mouth fabric, probably to prevent intrusion.
Nest structure and function
The nests of Apis cerana have a unique vertical structure made of beeswax secreted by worker bees. These nests are well insulated and can effectively maintain the internal temperature, which is crucial for bee reproduction and food storage. To cope with the harsh environment, Apis cerana needs to store about one-third of its nectar each year to survive the winter.
These nests may start out with only about 20,000 cells but may eventually grow to as many as 100,000 cells, providing housing and breeding space for the entire colony.
Ingenious design of thermal regulation
In response to the challenges of climate change, the nests of Apis cerana are able to precisely regulate their internal temperature, in a similar way to the western honey bee, Apis mellifera. They can maintain a stable temperature of 33 to 35.5 degrees in an environment of 12 to 36 degrees. Especially in the hot summer, worker bees maintain a suitable environment inside the nest by gathering outside and flapping their wings to achieve evaporative cooling.
When encountering other large predators such as the Japanese giant hornet, Apis cerana demonstrates its extraordinary defensive capabilities. They can gather together and use vibrations to raise the temperature around them, and can even defeat invaders.
Social Structure and Behavior
The social structure of Apis cerana includes the queen bee, worker bees and drones. Worker bees have various roles, including licking honey, fetching water, feeding larvae, and cleaning the nest. A common phenomenon is that worker bees engage in "worker guard" behavior among themselves, which is why they rarely activate their own ovaries, because the pheromones released by the queen bee inhibit the reproductive behavior of the worker bees.
Worker bees use "waggle dance" to communicate the source of nectar or pollen. This is not only an important means of information transmission among bees, but also a manifestation of their social cooperation.
Reproductive behavior and nest formation
During the reproduction process of Apis cerana, the queen bee usually mates with up to ten male bees to enhance genetic diversity. When the breeding season arrives, these bees form new colonies and explore suitable new nesting sites. During the process, their scanning bees will use dance to inform their companions of favorable nesting locations. This behavior demonstrates the high degree of cooperation and sociality of the bees.
Conclusion
Through its nesting structure, thermal regulation and social behaviour, Apis cerana plays a vital role in vibrant ecosystems. Their lifestyle is not only interesting, it also provides valuable insights into our understanding of the evolution of social insects. In the future, can these little bees continue to survive in our ecosystem, or what challenges will they face?
